Mike Bonanno (left) and Andy Bichlbaum demonstrate the Survivaball

Long before college conservatives were planning videotaped ACORN stings or Tea Partiers were wielding copies of “Rules for Radicals,” The Yes Men were pioneering a form of much-copied culturejamming to lambaste greed and misdeeds by corporations and governments. By posing as bigwigs from the WTO, Halliburton, the Canadian government, and Dow Chemicals, among others — and fooling press outlets along the way — they shamed various institutions about everything from foot-dragging on climate change measures to the inaction in the wake of 1984’s Bhopal disaster. Now one of these legendary activists is headed our way for a discussion following a screening of the film, The Yes Men Fix the World.

Yes Men co-founder Mike Bonanno will be in Minneapolis this Friday, Feb. 12, at Oak Street Cinema — Survivaball and all — to launch a five-day run of screenings.

Watch the trailer:

Photo: WDCpix

Former Sen. Norm Coleman has been hitting the trail to promote the new think tank he’s heading up. The American Action Network hopes to take advantage of the recent Supreme Court ruling overturning rules about political giving by corporations, Coleman told the New York Times. The group also has plenty of ties to — and support from — Wall Street.

Coleman’s group has been slow to get off the ground with news of its founding more than six months ago. Here’s what former Sen. Dave Durenberger had to say to MinnPost’s Erik Black back in August:

“Texas money is also funding a start-up non-profit called America’s Action Network, which is designed to give definition to a principled ‘role of government’ approach to the Republican Party’s future. In the process, its founders hope to leave some of the ‘other issues’ like those which firmed ‘the base’ in the social values arena behind. New president of the right-of-center group will be former Minnesota Republican Senator Norm Coleman. This will place two Minnesota Republicans in the national political spotlight as Governor Tim Pawlenty seeks to similarly define the next national GOP for what he calls ‘Sam’s Club’ Americans.”

ThinkProgress gives a more in-depth report on the backgrounds of Coleman’s new Wall Street partners.

Robert K. Steel
Former Goldman Sachs Exec & Wachovia CEO
Robert Steel spent close to 30 years with Goldman Sachs before joining his Goldman colleague Henry Paulson in the Treasury Department. Steel and Paulson helped ensure that Bush’s 2008 Wall Street bailout would leave Goldman “among the biggest beneficiaries of the $700 billion U.S. plan.”

Kenneth Langone
Home Depot Founder, Investment Banker
Wall Street titan Kenneth Langone was called “The Man Behind Grasso’s Payday” after NYSE Chairman Richard Grasso was awarded $139.5 million amidst controversy over Wall Street excesses in 2004. Langone, chair of the compensation committee, defended the exuberant pay, arguing that Grasso was entitled to the amount. Then-NY AG Eliot Spitzer filed a lawsuit against the NYSE — including Langone — charging that “the board of the NYSE was misled about parts” of Grasso’s compensation. In 2004, a businessman in Florida also sued Langone for $1.8 billion. The suit charged him with “conspiring to interfere and interfering with business relationships,” as well as “extortion, defamation, fraudulent misrepresentation, and violations of the Florida Antitrust Act and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act.”

Ed Gillespie
Fmr RNC Chairman, Lobbyist
Ed Gillespie’s lobbying firm includes a host of clients whose interests are grounded in Wall Street: Enron, Citibank, Bank of America, Zurich Financial, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the “clean coal” front group ACCCE.

Fred Malek
Thayer Capital Partners Founder
Fred Malek is a super-wealthy Republican operative who got his start with the Nixon administration. The former co-owner of the Texas Rangers with George W. Bush was responsible for a 1972 scheme that was investigated by the Senate Watergate Committee to politicize broad segments of the federal government in favor of reelecting Nixon. In 2004, Malek “was fined $250,000 for what the SEC called a ‘fraudulent scheme.’”

Coleman told the New York Times that the recent Citizens United court ruling opening the doors for corporate campaign giving would be a boon to his new group.

“This [Obama] administration as well as Citizens United — when you combine the two the prospects for funding these types of efforts are greatly enhanced,” Mr. Coleman said.

And Coleman took to Fox News this week to talk about AAN:

The Republican Jewish Coalition is the same organization that recently hired former Sen. Norm Coleman. Bachmann’s appearance on Feb.1 is part of a whirlwind of national events for Bachmann in February. Next up: she’s keynoting the Take Back Washington North Dakota event in Bismarck this Friday night.

Here’s a transcript of some of her remarks at the RJC event:

I am convinced in my heart and in my mind that if the United States fails to stand with Israel, that is the end of the United States . . . [W]e have to show that we are inextricably entwined, that as a nation we have been blessed because of our relationship with Israel, and if we reject Israel, then there is a curse that comes into play. And my husband and I are both Christians, and we believe very strongly the verse from Genesis [Genesis 12:3], we believe very strongly that nations also receive blessings as they bless Israel. It is a strong and beautiful principle.

Right now in my own private Bible time, I am working through Isaiah . . . and there is continually a coming back to what God gave to Israel initially, which was the Torah and the Ten Commandments, and I have a wonderful quote from John Adams that if you will indulge me [while I find it] . . . [from his February 16, 1809 letter to François Adriaan van der Kemp]:

I will insist that the Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation. If I were an atheist, and believed in blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations. If I were an atheist of the other sect, who believe or pretend to believe that all is ordered by chance, I should believe that chance had ordered the Jews to preserve and propagate to all mankind the doctrine of a supreme, intelligent, wise, almighty sovereign of the universe, which I believe to be the great essential principle of all morality, and consequently of all civilization.

. . . So that is a very long way to answer your question, but I believe that an explicit statement from us about our support for Israel as tied to American security, we would do well to do that.

Photo: wdcpix.com

Mike Huckabee is invading Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s turf. The former Arkansas governor and likely 2012 presidential candidate will be visiting Minnesota in April to headline a fundraising dinner for local religious right outfit the Minnesota Family Council.

The event’s location and start time haven’t been released yet, but according to an MFC announcement, the dinner will be held on April 26.

Pawlenty, another likely 2012 candidate for president, has long had a close relationship with the Minnesota Family Council, sharing the group’s push to block rights, such as a stronger anti-bullying bill. for LGBT Minnesotans. Pawlenty vetoed that bill last year at the Family Council’s urging. Pawlenty has also directed legislators to negotiate comprehensive sex education standards with the Family Council, which opposes teaching about contraception and birth control in schools.

Huckabee, a leader in the national religious right, once said, “I hope we answer the alarm clock and take this nation back for Christ.”

Meanwhile, Pawlenty continues a road trip of his own. Tonight, he’s in North Carolina giving the keynote speech at the Institute for Emerging Issues’ annual forum.

Minnesota's Joe Basel. Photo: David Weigel

NASHVILLE — Justin Elliot picked up on my observation that Joseph Basel was here at the National Tea Party Convention and wondered how Basel was allowed to leave his home state of Minnesota before the Landrieu phone tampering case came to trial. I asked him.

“I’m on bond,” said Basel. “I just signed a piece of paper and I could go. I get pre-approval for travel outside of Minnesota, run by a supervision officer — I just gave him a call and said ‘I’m going to go to Nashville.’”

Basel pointed out that James O’Keefe had left his New Jersey home for New York to tape an interview with Sean Hannity. “We’re all fine,” he said. “It’ll all work out.”

Update: TPM has more.

The Polis letter, sent to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Wednesday outlines three reasons why the public option should be included in reconciliation: “The public option is overwhelmingly popular”; “The public option will save billions for taxpayers, speaking to the fiscally-responsible sensibilities of our constituents”; and “There is strong support in the Senate for a popular public option.”

Democratic Reps. Betty McCollum and Tim Walz are not committed to such a process, according to the Progressive Change Committee, and Rep. Collin Peterson has stated he opposes a public option.

Full text of Polis’ letter:

The Honorable Harry Reid
Office of the Majority Leader
United States Senate
S-221, The Capitol
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Majority Leader Reid:

As the Senate continues to work on health reform legislation, we strongly urge you to consider including a public option.

Here are the reasons for this request:

1) The public option is overwhelmingly popular.

A December New York Times poll shows that, despite the attacks of recent months, the American public supports the public option 59% to 29%. And a recent Research 2000 poll found 82% of people who supported President Obama in 2008 and Scott Brown for Senate last week also support the public option. Only 32% of this key constituency is in favor of the current Senate bill – with more saying it “doesn’t go far enough” rather than it “goes too far.”

Support for health care legislation started to fall as popular provisions like the public option were stripped out and affordability standards were watered down. The American people want us to fight for them and against special interests like the insurance industry, and it is our responsibility to show them that their voices are being heard.

2) The public option will save billions for taxpayers, speaking to the fiscally-responsible sensibilities of our constituents.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the public option will save taxpayers anywhere from $25 billion to $110 billion and will save billions more when private insurers compete to bring down premium costs. The stronger the public option, the more money it saves.

By including the public option, we can simultaneously reduce tax increases and the deficit. This is a common-sense way to temper the frustration of Americans who question whether Congress is spending their money wisely and fighting for the middle class.

3) There is strong support in the Senate for a popular public option.

It is very likely that the public option could have passed the Senate, if brought up under majority-vote “budget reconciliation” rules. While there were valid reasons stated for not using reconciliation before, especially given that some important provisions of health care reform wouldn’t qualify under the reconciliation rules, those reasons no longer exist. The public option would clearly qualify as budget-related under reconciliation, and with the majority support it has garnered in the Senate, it should be included in any healthcare reform legislation that moves under reconciliation.

As Democrats forge “the path forward” on health care, we believe that passing the public option through reconciliation should be part of that path. We urge you to favorably consider our request to include a public option in the reconciliation process.

Sincerely,

Jared Polis, Member of Congress
Chellie Pingree, Member of Congress

Thank you for being part of my campaign to transform Minnesota. I have been continually grateful for your words of encouragement, your advice, volunteer work and financial support over the last year. I am one of the fortunate Minnesotans who has had the opportunity to see firsthand the spirit of involvement that thrives in our state.

Even with your support, and the amazingly hard work of a dedicated and talented campaign team, I have not been as successful as we had hoped when the campaign began. As a result, I have decided to withdraw from the race for governor.

My wife Sophie has been a perfect partner in this campaign and in my public service. Our children Paul and Eleanor and our son-in-law Corey Orehek have worked hard and inspired me to work hard for them and for the future. And my parents and brothers and sisters have given me their support in ways beyond measure.

You have been generous in your support. One of the sad outcomes of this decision is that I will have fewer opportunities to work with you to make Minnesota the kind of place we see in our best dreams. I intend to return to my work at the Humphrey Institute where I have been privileged to be able to serve Minnesota.

I also intend to support the DFL-endorsed candidate for governor. To repair the damage done to our state, we must endorse a candidate in April, unite behind that candidate and win in November. Our fellow citizens deserve a DFL Governor in January 2011.

During the campaign I had the pleasure of getting to know better the other dedicated public servants who are seeking the DFL nomination. Through innumerable candidate forums and other visits with Minnesotans, I learned new insights from them about the challenges we face together and the solutions we must pursue.

I am immensely proud of my campaign team. Over many months they applied energy, intelligence and dedication to a challenging goal. It is has been a privilege to work with them.

I am confident that with the right leadership that engages the amazing Minnesotans that I met on the campaign trail, we can build a better home for our children.

As City Pages notes, the conference has generated some controversy because of its sponsorship by the John Birch Society. The Society’s historical opposition to civil rights has generated criticism across the political spectrum.

Religious right groups have begun pulling out of the conference because GOProud, a conservative gay-rights group, is among the event’s cosponsors.

“The whole focus of this event is Jesus Christ, and we share our faith around the table and usually it’s with people from all around the world,” Bachmann told CBN. “I think it’s important people acquaint themselves with our nation’s history and not forget that in order for our nation to be strong, individuals have to be strong. And as members of Congress many of us find our strength in the Bible, in the Word of God.”

More of Bachmann:

Klobuchar got some laughs when she ribbed Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, for accidentally stepping to the podium with a ringing Blackberry. When the alarm on Hatch’s phone chimed, Klobuchar exclaimed, “It’s time for prayer!”

CBS news caught the exchange:

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Couples face the possibility that, even when a partner is a legal permanent resident, the couple or even family will be split up if the non-citizen partner has lost their resident status. Ellison, along with about 60 other members of Congress, is urging President Obama and Congressional leadership to correct that inequality in immigration reform legislation.

Currently, U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents may sponsor their spouses (and other immediate family members) for immigration purposes. But, same-sex partners committed to spending their lives together are not recognized as “families” under U.S. immigration law and thus do not have this same right. As a result, tens of thousands of binational families are either already living separately, face imminent separation, or have left the U.S. entirely in order to remain together. This is unacceptable, and we believe comprehensive immigration reform legislation must include a strong family reunification component inclusive of LGBT families.

Text of full letter:

Dear President Obama, Majority Leader Reid, Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Schumer, and Chairwoman Lofgren:
As members of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, we are writing to express our stong support for a comprehensive immigration reform bill which would end discrimination against
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) binational families.

We urge Congress to include the Uniting American Families Act (H.R. 1024lS. 424) in any comprehensive immigration reform legislation.

Currently, U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents may sponsor their spouses (and other immediate family members) for immigration purposes. But, same-sex partners committed to
spending their lives together are not recognized as “families” under U.S. immigration law and thus do not have this same right.

As a result, tens of thousands of binational families are either
already living separately, face imminent separation, or have left the U.S. entirely in order to remain together. This is unacceptable, and we believe comprehensive immigration reform
legislation must include a strong family reunification component inclusive of LGBT families.

According to 2000 census data compiled by the Williams Institute, an estimated 36,000 LGBT binational families are impacted by the inability to sponsor their partners for residency, and nearly half of those (47 percent) are raising children. Our existing, discriminatory immigration laws hurt not only those individuals, but their extended families, communities, and employers, as well. Not only would an inclusive family reunification provision strengthen American families, it would bolster the competitiveness of businesses in the U.S. by allowing corporations to attract, employ, and retain the very best talent from across the globe. Indeed, the U.S. lags behind 19 countries that already recognize same-sex couples for immigration purposes, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, and Germany.

In truth, no immigration reform bill can be called “comprehensive” unless it includes all Americans, including those who are LGBT. This is recognized in the Reuniting Families Act (H.R. 2709), which includes LGBT families in addressing the broader immigration problem of family unification.

We urge you to include LGBT binational families in comprehensive immigration reform legislation. No one should be forced to choose between the person they love and the country they call home. It is time that our immigration laws kept families together instead of tearing them apart.
Sincerely,